Condoms that fit
Set your size and this page works out the condom width that fits you, shows how every common size would feel, and links you straight to condoms in your width. Below that: how to put one on, the mistakes most people make, materials, lube, and where to get condoms free.
Use erect measurements. Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere.
- Length
- Girth
- Your condom width
- Size group
Along the top, from the pubic bone to the tip.
Around the thickest part of the shaft. This is the number that decides your condom size.
Drawn to scale. Each grid square is 1 cm.
Your condom size
Condom size is set by nominal width: the width of the condom laid flat, in millimetres. It's printed on most boxes, and it's far more reliable than words like "large". A condom should be slightly narrower than you, so it grips and stays on.
How every width would fit you
Try any width on
Pick a width to see it end-on: the dashed ring is the condom at rest, and the blue circle is you. The more it has to stretch, the tighter it feels.
Length check
Condoms that fit you
Shop links go to Condomerie, a specialist condom shop in Amsterdam that sorts its whole range by exact width and ships widely, or to the brand's own site. This site earns nothing from these links. Widths are as listed by the brands and shops; small differences between brands are normal.
Why fit matters
In a study of 436 men, 45% said the last condom they used didn't fit well. Compared with men whose condoms fit, they were far more likely to run into problems.
How many times more likely, with a badly fitting condom
From Crosby and colleagues, 2010, adjusting for other factors. A condom that pinches or slips isn't just uncomfortable: it's less likely to protect you, and more likely to be taken off.
Don't trust the word "large"
Brands disagree on "regular"
EXS and Pasante regulars are 54 mm, while Durex treats 56 mm as regular. The only fair comparison is the nominal width in millimetres.
Famous "large" condoms often aren't
Trojan Magnum, the best-known "large" condom in the US, is about 54 mm at the base, barely wider than a standard condom. If regular condoms feel tight, you may need to go several sizes up, not one.
A rough guide to the names
Snug: under 52 mm. Regular: 52 to 54 mm. Large: 55 to 59 mm. Extra large: 60 to 69 mm. Beyond 69 mm, only a few specialist sizes exist.
Between two sizes?
Try both. A good fit feels firm but never painful, stays put when you pull out, and doesn't leave a deep mark at the base. Sampler packs make this cheap.
How to put one on
Check the packet
Look at the expiry date, and squeeze it gently: an undamaged packet has a small cushion of air. Tear it with your fingers, never teeth or scissors.
Find which way it rolls
The rim should be on the outside, like a little hat. If you start it the wrong way round, throw it away and use a new one, because it may already carry pre-ejaculate.
Pinch the tip
Squeeze the air out of the tip and leave about a centimetre of space for semen. Trapped air is a common cause of breaks.
Roll it all the way down
Put it on before any genital contact, and roll it to the base. If you have a foreskin, pull it back first.
Add lube if you like
Water-based or silicone-based lube on the outside makes sex more comfortable and breakage less likely. Never oil-based lube with latex.
Hold the base when you pull out
Withdraw while still hard, holding the rim so it can't slip off. Then wrap it and put it in the bin, not the toilet. Use a new one every time.
The mistakes most people make
When 158 college men were asked about the previous three months, most had made at least one of these mistakes.
A worldwide review of 50 studies found the same mistakes everywhere: putting condoms on after sex had started (17 to 51% of people, depending on the study), not leaving space at the tip (24 to 46%) and starting them inside out, then flipping them over (4 to 30%). People who had never been shown how to use a condom made more mistakes.
How well they work
Condoms are very effective when used right every time. Most failures come from the mistakes above, not from the condom.
External condoms
The kind worn on the penis
Internal condoms
Worn inside the vagina or anus, and don't depend on penis size
Share of people who avoid pregnancy over a year of use. "Perfect use" means every time, from start to finish, exactly right. Condoms are also the only contraception that protects against most sexually transmitted infections.
What they're made of
Latex Most common
Stretchy, strong and cheap, and it comes in the widest range of sizes. Not for anyone with a latex allergy. Oil-based lube weakens it.
Polyisoprene Latex-free
A synthetic rubber that feels close to latex, sold under names like SKYN, usually around 53 to 56 mm. Safe for most people with latex allergies. Also damaged by oil-based lube.
Polyurethane Latex-free
Thin and good at passing on body heat, and fine with oil-based lube. It stretches less, so fit matters even more, and it's a little more likely to slip or break.
Lambskin No STI protection
Made from animal membrane. It can prevent pregnancy, but viruses can pass through its tiny pores, so it doesn't protect against infections like HIV.
Lube that won't break it
Water-based
Safe with every condomThe all-rounder. Easy to wash off and fine with toys. Reapply if it dries.
Silicone-based
Safe with every condomLasts much longer and works in water. Avoid using it with silicone sex toys.
Oil-based
Not with latex or polyisopreneIncludes baby oil, coconut oil, Vaseline and many lotions. They can weaken latex quickly. Only use them with polyurethane condoms.
Keeping them safe
Heat and friction ruin them
A condom kept in a wallet or a hot car for weeks can weaken. A bag pocket or bedside drawer is better.
Check the date
Expired condoms are more likely to break. Most last a few years, but ones with spermicide expire sooner.
One at a time
Never wear two at once. The friction between them makes a tear more likely, not less.
If one breaks
Emergency contraception works best the sooner it's taken, and a sexual health clinic can advise about infection risk and testing.
Where to get them free
Ireland
Free condoms and lube for anyone aged 17 or over: by post from the Sexual Health Centre in Cork, GOSHH in Limerick or Sexual Health West in Galway, and from public sexual health clinics, some community venues and college student unions.
UK
Sexual health clinics give condoms out free, and many areas run a scheme for young people to pick them up from pharmacies, youth services and colleges. Ask your local clinic.
Everywhere else
Sexual health clinics, student health centres and many public health departments hand them out free. Free condoms are usually regular sizes, so if you need a snug or large fit, buying your own is worth it.
Myths, rated
Sources
- Crosby RA, Yarber WL, Graham CA, Sanders SA. Does it fit okay? Problems with condom use as a function of self-reported poor fit. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2010.
- Crosby RA, Sanders SA, Yarber WL, Graham CA, Dodge B. Condom use errors and problems among college men. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 2002.
- Sanders SA, Yarber WL, Kaufman EL, Crosby RA, Graham CA, Milhausen RR. Condom use errors and problems: a global view. Sexual Health, 2012.
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Effectiveness of family planning methods (perfect and typical use).
- Condomerie. Which nominal width is right for me? Guidance based on John Gerofi's work on condom fit.
- ONE Condoms. Condom size chart and MyONE sizes. MY.SIZE. Fitting kits by girth.
- Condoms.uk. What are 57 mm condoms? On how brands define regular, large and extra large.
- Health Service Executive (Ireland). Free condoms.